Automated weaponry targets have long been known and widely used at civilian, law enforcement, and military shooting ranges. Although such devices have achieved considerable popular and commercial success, there is much room for improvement. Existing systems present the target mannequin in a fully vertical (standing) position. After the target mannequin is hit, the mannequin drops to a fully horizontal position to indicate a kill. These existing systems require considerable physical space to permit the mannequin to drop. Furthermore, the center of mass of such systems shifts dramatically between the upright and dropped positions. The change in the position of the center of mass interferes with use of such systems on moving platforms. Finally, the devices offer no control over the speed or intermediate position of the target mannequin as the mannequin drops.
Although these designs are effective for their intended purpose, they are limited to use where considerable space is available and where the target is mounted on a stationary platform.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved weaponry target mechanism that maintains the target's center of mass over a mechanism even in the dropped position. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the weaponry target mechanism according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of maintaining the target's center of mass over the mechanism even in the dropped position.